BRICK KILN

INDUSTRY

INTRODUCTION
Brick making in India is as old as the Indus Valley Civilization
Many historical monuments: Nalanda, Sarnath, Qutub Minar, etc
show the use of bricks

LOCATION OF BRICK KILN INDUSTRIES IN INDIA

Southern peninsular states with
brick kilns
Northern mountainous cities
with brick kilns
Gangeticplain states with brick
kilns

LOCATION OF BRICK KILN INDUSTRIES IN INDIA

The Gangetic plains have the maximum number of brick kilns in

the country and these kilns make 65% of the total production
capacity

PRODUCTION RATE: GLOBAL AND INDIAN

PERSPECTIVE

India is the second largest producer of bricks in the world after China with
an 10-11% share in the market
There are 1,45,000 registered/unregistered brick kilns in India
Annual production rate= ~240 billion bricks /year
Annual Consumption rate=~170 billion bricks/year
Projected rate by 2030=500 billion bricks
Growth rate=5-10% annually

PRODUCTION PROCESS

 Material Procurement: Clay is mined from open pits and stored in the
open. Open storage helps to make the clay soft and removes unwanted
oxides. In India primarily surface soil is used for brick production.
Preparation & Tempering: To rid of clay lumps and stones the raw
material is reduced in size by either passing through size reduction
machines or manually. This clay is then mixed with water to get the right
consistency (either manually or by animal driven pug mills) for moulding.

Moulding: The tempered clay is mostly rolled in sand (to prevent the clay
from sticking to the mould) and slapped into wood or metal moulds.

 Drying: The moulds are emptied into the drying area (in open or
under drying sheds) where the bricks are arranged in a herring bone
pattern. They are turned over every two days to ensure uniform
drying and prevent warping. Drying period continues for two weeks
after which the bricks are ready to be burnt.
Firing: The green bricks are arranged in a kiln and insulation is
provided with a mudpack. Fire holes left to ignite the kiln are later
sealed to keep the heat inside. This is maintained for a week. Firing
like other operations also depends on the knowledge and
experience of the brick maker.

Bulls Trench Kiln

An oval or circular trench is dug (6-9 metres wide, 2-2.5 metres deep and 100-150
metres in circumference )
A tall exhaust chimney is constructed in the centre
Half or more of the trench is filled with green bricks which are stacked in an open
lattice pattern to allow airflow. The lattice is capped with a roofing layer of finished
brick
In operation, green bricks are stacked at one end of the brick pile and cooled
finished bricks are removed from the other end for transport
In the middle fuel is inserted through access holes in the roof above the trench for
firing

POLLUTION FROM BRICK KILNS

SOLID WASTE
The major solid waste generated is coal dust ..Its quantity depends upon
the amount of coal
other fuel used and their ash content. The amount of ash generated is
about 1 1.5 tonns per
day which goes on accumulating on or around the brick kilns.
AIR POLLUTION
Use of thermally low efficient kilns and poor grade coal result in
particulate and
gaseous emissions. Brick kiln emissions consists of mainly coal fines
and dust
particles. The fugitive dust emissions are mostly siliceous except
for coal crushers where there are coal fines

Environmental Impacts: Air Pollutants

The dangerous pollutants emitted by brick kilns are numerous
and varied
These emissions are produced from the burning of the fuels as
well as from the bricks themselves as they are heated
These emissions can be extremely unhealthy to kiln workers as
well as the surrounding flora, fauna, and residents

Environmental Impacts: Air Pollutants

Nitrogen oxides are produced by the burning of hydrocarbon
fuels and cause acid rain as well as local air pollution
Sulfur dioxides are produced by the heating of the clay and the
burning of any oils or coals as a fuel source
Carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide are produced when
hydrocarbon fuels are burned and CO causes local air pollution
while CO2 causes global warming

Environmental Impacts: Air Pollutants

Other organic compounds, even toxins such as dioxin can be
released if waste compounds are used to fuel a kiln
Particulate matter is produced by the firing of the bricks
themselves and from the burning of heavy fuel oil, coal, and
waste materials
Many of these problems could be greatly remedied and reduced
by the use of better technology, which reduces waste and
increases efficiency

Ways to Increase Energy Efficiency and

Reduce Waste
a) Measures to reduce generation of pollutants at source or
energy efficiency measures.
Improve combustion:
Energy efficiency measures (by improving kiln design and kiln
insulation)
Use of Fly ash

b)Measures to control or reduce the impact of the emissions.

To use an device to remove pollutants from the stack gases e.g.

gravity settling chamber.
Planned dispersion to control local air quality e.g. provision of
taller chimneys

Ways to Increase Energy Efficiency and

Reduce Waste
Use of good quality agriculture soil in large quantities for brick
making is also an area of concern, to reduce this wastage
following steps can be taken
Promoting deep mining of clay for brick making instead of
surface mining. we currently use only top surface i.e. 3ft to 10ft)
for brick making.
Promoting use of waste materials like fly ash, boiler ash ,stone
dust etc. in brick making.
Promoting use of perforated of hollow bricks.

Vertical Shaft Brick Kilns

VSBK save between 30 and 50% more energy than traditional
brick kilns
Because of its roof VSKB can operate in all weather conditions
year round instead of only 6 months per year
Because of energy efficiency and improved combustion air flow
efficiency the amount of suspended particulate matter in the
emitted flue gases and other pollutants are greatly reduced

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT

Air pollution

Loss of soil fertility

Other environmental impacts

Air pollution

The main environmental impact of brick kilns is air pollution

due to fugitive and stack emission.

The level of particulate matter in the air is about three times

higher in areas with brick kilns compared to areas without
kilns.

Loss of soil fertility

Erection of brick kilns in the agricultural lands is leading to

serious loss in agricultural productivity.

Top soil is removed from the land and it takes between 25 to 30

years for those lands to be fertile as earlier.

Burning soil decreases the soil pH making it acidic, increase sand

and decrease the clay content.

Other environmental impacts

Disruption of irrigation schemes is caused by the extraction of
soil for brick making.

Black smoke produced by the brick kilns ultimately moves

away the species which are involved in pollination process.
The effects of brick kilns have both long term and short-term
impacts in the environment. In short term the vegetation
process hampers, crops production decreases, plants fruits
falls down etc. and long term impacts are ozone depletions,
global warming, land fertility decreases etc.

MANAGEMENT PRACTICES IN INDIA

Building construction in India is estimated to grow at a rate of

6.6% per year during the period 2005 to 2030.

The building stock is expected to multiply five times during this

period, resulting in a continuous increase in demand for building
materials.

Projected Increase in Building Area in India

Brick Kiln Technologies currently prevailing

in India

 Most of the brick kilns in India are non-mechanised

except few mechanized / semi-mechanized units
contributing to less than 1% of the total production. In
recent years use of mechanical excavators for clay
winning is becoming common.

Industrial and economic condition

Fuel and operation are the two most important cost
components of brick production and together accounts
for almost 70% of the cost of production. The selling
price of fired bricks vary greatly across the country, the
highest price of Rs 8-12/ brick is realized in West Bengal
and some of the Southern States.

MANAGEMENT PRACTICES IN DEVELOPED

COUNTRIES
USA Scenario
Managing design through the use of brick and
masonry in specific districts and land uses is
becoming a popular method to ensure smart
growth, stimulate the local economy, preserve
property values, and lend to sustainable
development.

Building Codes and Zoning Ordinances

Because of the aesthetic qualities of brick and

masonry, these codes indirectly manage design by
requiring aesthetically appealing structures that are
built to ensure the life safety of citizens.

Zoning ordinances that require a specific

percentage of masonry ensure a standard of good
design throughout specified land uses. These
ordinances set a clear minimum requirement for all
developers creating a level playing field for builders.

Planned Unit Developments

A Planned Unit Development (PUD) encourages
creativity in design of development on a small
scale.
PUDs allow for variations in the code such as
setbacks or lot size in exchange for the inclusion
of requirements such as architectural standards

RECOMMENDATION FOR IMPROVEMENT

Effective Protection of the Environment
The Brick Industry extracts and consumes clay.
Its production process is energy intensive and
gives rise to atmospheric emissions. It makes use
of considerable volumes of water. This potential
for environmental impact emphasizes the
importance of effective regulation and
responsible environmental management.

Reducing the Impact of Extraction

Research undertaken by London Economics for
the DETR in preparation for the introduction of
the aggregates levy assessed the
environmental impact of clay extraction as
small compared with other minerals.

 Technical improvements: some of these innovations

require technical improvements such as better air
quality through chimneys and ventilation; mechanical
pug mills and mechanized brick-molding machines
instead of treating the clay by foot and molding the
bricks by hand.

Better working conditions for workers: significant

improvements are possible with a practical approach
like introducing Child-care-centers on brick kilns rather
than leaving the children play in the mud; a dialogue
with brick workers (firemen, molders and kiln owners)
can bring small but crucial improvements, for example
a simple mobile phone on a kiln makes communication
between firemen and their families possible

Controlling Atmospheric Emission

The main emission resulting from the production process are
carbon gases, hydrogen fluoride and particulates. Continuous
improvement in performance has been achieved through:
A constant drive towards increased energy efficiency. The cost
of energy and the need to reach targets prescribed in the
industrys climate change agreement are key influences in this
respect
Regulatory control including process guidance noted
prescribing limits for hydrogen fluoride and particulates
emissions
Major capital investment in the technology required to ensure
compliance
Investment in research and development to achieve
compliance through process modification rather than end-ofpipe solutions

An Integrated Approach to Environmental

Management
Brick factories, all of which are already subject to UK Integrated Pollution
Control or Local Air Pollution Control, will become installations under the new
EU integrated pollution prevention and control regime. However, the
Industrys recognition that a responsible approach to the environment
extends well beyond simple compliance is demonstrated by:
The major contribution to the development of the Industrys BREF note
made by the UK industry
The increasing numbers of Industry sites with accredited ISO 14001 or EMAS
systems
The input made by brick manufacturers in the BCC Guidance on Introducing
and Environmental Management System which assists the spread of best
practice throughout the industry
The effective application within the Industry of techniques to reduce water
use and effluent levels reflected in the Enviro-wise publication, Managing
Water Use and Benchmarking in the Brick and Heavy Clay Sectors
The range of guidance and advisory notes on aspects of environmental
management produced by other organizations in partnership with the Industry

THANK YOU

REFERENCES:
Indian Brick Sector: http://www.ecobrick.in/indian_Brick_Sector.aspx
Final Report, Evaluating Energy Conservation Potential of Brick Production in India: A
Report Prepared for the SAARC Energy Centre, Islamabad by Sameer Maithel (March
2013))
Energy Efficient Improvement in Indian Brick Industry:
http://pscst.gov.in/pscstHTML/brick.html
Brick Making in India: http://www.ecobrick.in/brickmakinginindia.aspx
Manufacturing of Brick: www.gobrick.com
http://www.cd3wd.com/cd3wd_40/GATE_DL/BUILDING/BK/EN/BK.HTM
Journal of Environmental Research And Development January-March 2008
An article "An Overview of the American Brick Industry" on www.gobrick.com
An article "UK building sector revives - brick by brick" on www.ft.comA report named
"brickclaySummaryReport" by british geological survey(www.bgs.ac.uk)"India brick
industry: Calls to improve working conditions" BBC report 2014An article "Brick
industry and social improvements" www.poverty.chENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
AT WIENERBERGER and SUSTAINABILITY - at the heart of practices on
www.wienerberger.co.uk Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation and Climate Works
Foundation (2012). Monitoring of brick kilns & strategies for cleaner brick production in
India. Brick kilns performance assessment.